Tamil Nadu Food Festival at The Dining Room, Park Hyatt will feature around 32 dishes from the south state on the buffet
Adhirasam, made with hand crushed banana, dates, rock sugar and a dash of camphor to bring the taste closer to the popular Palani temple Prasadam is commonly made in Tamil Nadu, especially when there are leftover bananas during the Margazhi. It is a delicacy for the kids, shares Chef Manivannan from Park Hyatt Hyderabad. Originally a pastry chef, his roots go back to North Tamil Nadu, near Vellore. He has teamed with Chef Kannan others with experience in Tamil cuisine from the team to create an extensive menu for the ongoing Tamil Nadu Food Festival. Around 32 dishes will be part of the dinner buffet every day, including the not so well known but regionally popular delicacies from across the Tamil state.
From the South East region come the Chintamani Chillies, known for their sharpness. They are used in the dishes, especially Chintamani Chicken. Vavva Meen Variwal is a pomfret preparation that like other dishes gets its unique flavour by using coconut, pepper and other spices. Mutton Kola Urundai – the meat balls are made with goat meat, and along with the spicy Nandu rasam (made using crab meat) it fits into the monsoon season quite perfectly. Pichu Potta Kozhi is a simple quintessentially south Indian preparation made using shred chicken, and Aachi Meen Kozhambu is as the name goes the grandma’s recipe of fish curry – tangy but with tomatoes, and not tamarind. These are just a few samples of the several non-vegetarian dishes that the chef is planning to serve for the buffet in addition to the biryanis – like the Dindugal biryani, Ambur and the Kayalpatinam. For the vegetarians Keerai Vadai, Milagu rasam, Vendakkao Mochai Mandi, Carrot Bean Poriyal, Vegetable Brinji. Also on the menu would be live counters for the veechu parotta, kal appam or even the kizhi parotta (with mutton Kozhimbu just like they have it in the south state).
T.N. Express at The Dining Room, Park HyattDate: 22rd to 31st July
Price: 2250++
Time: Dinner buffet
Menu Highlights: from Chettinad, Madurai and Tirunelveli